Jun. 5--Saving money on heating and utility costs in environmentally friendly ways is the focus of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County's 28th annual Spring Housing tour on Saturday.

Executive director Jeanne Darling said the tour will highlight biofuel, geothermal and solar installations.

It begins at 8:30 a.m. at Quality Hardwoods in Sidney and ends at about 4 p.m. at the Love & Hope Cat Sanctuary on Stewart Road in Franklin.

Registration is $8. Participants should bring a bag lunch for the rain-or-shine event, and they are encouraged to car pool.

Featured will be a bio-energy grass-pellet project by CCE with the Enviro Energy LLC grass-pellet plant in Wells Bridge. The project has funding from the Catskill Watershed Corp., Darling said.

Highlights of the tour stops are:

Quality Hardwoods

Darling said three generations of the Decker family operate the state-of-the-art mill that produces 5 million board feet of fine furniture and cabinet-grade hardwood each year.

The lumber is kiln-dried using wood chips from the mill to fire a steam boiler. The lumber is then finished for flooring, paneling, trim and cabinet making.

"It is great that nothing goes to waste at Quality Hardwoods," Darling said.

Enviro Energy LLC

The next stop is in Unadilla, where fuel pellets are produced from grass. The business is owned and operated by the Millers, a lifelong Delaware County dairy farming family.

The Millers adapted farm machinery and wood pelleting equipment for their mill. They use over-grown fields of weeds such as golden rod and multi-floral rose to produce pellets similar to wood pellets.

Flying Rabbit Farm

In Otego, tourgoers will see grass pellets in use.

Dave and Mary Dolan purchased a Verner Boiler with funding assistance from NYSERDA -- the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority -- to heat their greenhouse.

Darling said Dave Dolan likes the Enviro Energy grass pellets because they burn with less ash and clinkers. The Dolans will also use the Verner boiler to heat up vegetable oil for making biodiesel to fuel their tractors.

Franklin Town Garage

The next stop is Franklin, where a three-year demonstration project is located to showcase CCE's grass biomass energy project, which uses grass pellets to power a stove and a boiler furnace to heat the town hall and garage.

Other stops

After lunch, the group will tour Don and Louise Hebbard's home in Franklin.

Darling said the Hebbards started building their dream retirement home in May 2007, using timber-peg, post-and-beam construction on a cement-block cellar foundation.